Method and system and apparatus for mass notification and instructions to computing devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for simultaneously distributing mass notifications to multiple users. A mass notification system receives input data and, based on this input data, creates notifications for mass distribution. The notifications are then transmitted to computing devices used by the users who are to be notified.

We claim: 
     
       1. A computer server for sending notifications to computing devices associated with a plurality of users, the server coupled to said computing devices over at least one network, the server comprising:
 an administrator manager module for receiving input data relating to said notifications; 
 a scheduler for processing said input data to select which selected users from among said plurality of users are to receive said notifications and for creating notification data to be sent to the computing devices used by said selected users,
 wherein a priority level is associated with said notification data; 
 
 a notification module for sending notification data to the computing devices used by said selected users wherein
 said server maintains at least one constant live link to reduce set-up time for transmission of notification data by said server over said at least one network to at least one computing device, 
 upon receipt of said notification data by said computing devices, each of said computing devices executes instructions for presenting indicia to a selected user; 
 
 further wherein said server is an active server, further comprising
 the active server communicating with one or more standby servers to act as backup to the active server, 
 a heartbeat process to
 keep track of said active server and said one or more standby servers, 
 maintain said communications between said active server and said one or more standby servers, and 
 promote one of the one or more standby servers to become the active server if the active server fails to perform its operations; and 
 
 
 at least one of said computing devices comprises:
 a connectivity manager for receiving notification data from said server, 
 a computing device client for
 determining contents of said notification data, 
 performing said executing instructions for presenting indicia, based on said contents, to a user of said at least one computing device,
 wherein said presenting indicia further comprises presenting an acknowledgement block to the selected user of said at least one computing device to send an acknowledgement of said notification data, 
 further wherein said computing device client determines if said user has sent an acknowledgement before the expiry of a timer, and 
  said computing device client terminates said presenting of indicia if said timer expires without the user having sent the acknowledgement; 
 
 upon executing said instructions, a notification window is displayed on a screen associated with the at least one of said computing devices,
 said notification window adapted based on 
  said priority level associated with notification data, 
  size of said screen, 
  type of said computing device, and 
  computing capability of said computing device, and 
 
 
 a watchdog process for ensuring proper functioning of the computing device client. 
 
 
     
     
       2. A server according to  claim 1  wherein said input data originates from a computer system. 
     
     
       3. A server according to  claim 1  further comprising a computing devices manager,
 wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said computing devices manager, and 
 further wherein said computing devices manager manages said computing devices. 
 
     
     
       4. A server according to  claim 1  wherein a plurality of said computing devices is grouped by said server based on the locations of said computing devices. 
     
     
       5. A server according to  claim 1 , wherein said notifications comprise one or more questions requiring feedback from said selected users. 
     
     
       6. A computer server for sending notifications to computing devices associated with a plurality of users, the server coupled to said computing devices over at least one network, the server comprising:
 an administrator manager module for receiving input data relating to said notifications; 
 a scheduler for processing said input data to select which selected users from among said plurality of users are to receive said notification and for creating notification data to be sent to the computing devices used by said selected users; 
 a notification module for sending notification data to computing devices used by said selected users wherein
 said server maintains at least one constant live link to reduce set-up time for transmission of notification data by said server over said at least one network to at least one computing device, 
 said notification module prioritizes the sending of notification data to the computing devices, said prioritizing based on the computing devices' geo-locations, 
 wherein said notification data comprises one or more questions requiring feedback from said selected users, 
 upon receipt of said notification data by said computing devices, each of said computing devices executes instructions for presenting indicia to a selected user; 
 
 further wherein said server is an active server, further comprising
 the active server communicating with one or more standby servers to act as backup to the active server, and 
 a heartbeat process to
 keep track of said active server and said one or more standby servers, 
 maintain said communications between said active server and said one or more standby servers, and 
 promote one of the one or more standby servers to become the active server if the active server fails to perform its operations; and 
 
 
 at least one of said computing devices comprises:
 a connectivity manager for receiving notification data from said server, 
 a computing device client for
 determining contents of said notification data, 
 performing said executing instructions for presenting indicia, based on said contents, to a selected user of said at least one computing device, 
  upon executing said instructions, a notification window is displayed on a screen associated with the at least one of said computing devices, said notification window adapted based on at least one of
 size of said screen, or 
 computing capability of said at least one computing device, 
 
  wherein said presenting indicia comprises
 updating said notification window and a banner of information, 
 presenting an acknowledgement block to the user of said at least one computing device to send an acknowledgement of said notification data, 
  further wherein said computing device client determines if said user has sent an acknowledgement before the expiry of a timer, and 
  said computing device client terminates said presenting of indicia if said timer expires without the user having sent the acknowledgement; 
 
 
 further wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said server using a unique identifier,
 said registering of the at least one of said computing devices initiated upon detection of installation of the at least one of said computing devices on the said at least one network, and 
 
 a watchdog process for ensuring proper functioning of the computing device client. 
 
 
     
     
       7. A server according to  claim 6  wherein said input data originates from a computer system. 
     
     
       8. A server according to  claim 6  wherein, based on contents of said notification data, said computing device client executes further instructions for launching at least one separate application. 
     
     
       9. A server according to  claim 6  further comprising a computing devices manager,
 wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said computing devices manager, and 
 further wherein said computing devices manager manages said computing devices. 
 
     
     
       10. A server according to  claim 6  further comprising an interface module for presenting a user interface for use by a user of at least one of said administrative devices. 
     
     
       11. A computer server for sending notifications to computing devices associated with a plurality of users, the server coupled to said computing devices over at least one network, the server comprising:
 an administrator manager module for receiving input data relating to said notifications; 
 a scheduler for processing said input data to select which selected users from among said plurality of users are to receive said notification and for creating notification data to be sent to the computing devices; 
 a notification module for sending notification data to computing devices used by said selected users wherein
 said server maintains at least one constant live link to reduce set-up time for transmission of notification data by said server over said at least one network to at least one computing device, 
 upon receipt of said notification data by said computing devices, each of said computing devices executes instructions for presenting indicia to a selected user; 
 
 further wherein said server is an active server, further comprising
 the active server communicating with one or more standby servers to act as backup to the active server, 
 a heartbeat process to
 keep track of said active server and said one or more standby servers, 
 maintain said communications between said active server and said one or more standby servers, and 
 promote one of the one or more standby servers to become the active server if the active server fails to perform its operations; and 
 
 
 at least one of said computing devices comprises:
 a connectivity manager for receiving notification data from said server, 
 a computing device client for
 determining contents of said notification data, 
 performing said executing instructions for presenting indicia, based on said contents, to a selected user of said at least one computing device,
 said presenting indicia comprises presenting an acknowledgement block to the user of said at least one computing device to send an acknowledgement of said notification data, 
 further wherein said computing device client determines if said user has sent an acknowledgement before the expiry of a timer, 
  said computing device client terminates said presenting of indicia if said timer expires without the user having sent the acknowledgement, 
 
 wherein one or more settings are associated with said computing device client, 
 
 further wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said server using a unique identifier,
 said registering of the at least one of said computing devices initiated upon detection of installation of the at least one of said computing devices on the said at least one network, 
 said registering comprises
 determining if said one or more associated settings are up-to-date, and 
 based on said determining, updating the one or more associated settings, 
 
 adding the at least one of said computing devices to a smart group after performing said updating,
 wherein said smart group has one or more members, further wherein said one or more members are determined by filtering said computing devices based on at least one smart group criterion, and 
 
 
 a watchdog process for ensuring proper functioning of the computing device client. 
 
 
     
     
       12. A server according to  claim 11 , wherein said notifications comprise one or more questions requiring feedback from said selected users. 
     
     
       13. A server according to  claim 11  wherein said input data originates from a computer system. 
     
     
       14. A server according to  claim 11  wherein, based on contents of said notification data, said computing device client executes further instructions for launching at least one separate application. 
     
     
       15. A server according to  claim 11 , said server further comprising a computing devices manager,
 wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said computing devices manager, and 
 further wherein said computing devices manager manages said computing devices. 
 
     
     
       16. A computer server for sending notifications to computing devices associated with a plurality of users, the server coupled to said computing devices over at least one network, the server comprising:
 an administrator manager module for receiving input data relating to said notifications; 
 a scheduler for processing said input data to select which selected users from among said plurality of users are to receive said notification and for creating notification data to be sent to the computing devices; 
 a notification module for sending notification data to computing devices used by said selected users wherein
 said server maintains at least one constant live link to reduce set-up time for transmission of notification data by said server over said at least one network to at least one computing device, 
 upon receipt of said notification data by said computing devices, each of said computing devices executes instructions for presenting indicia to a selected user; 
 
 further wherein said server is an active server,
 further wherein the active server is in communications with one or more standby servers to act as backup to the active server, 
 said server further comprising a heartbeat process to
 keep track of said active server and said one or more standby servers, 
 maintain said communications between said active server and said one or more standby servers, and 
 promote one of the one or more standby servers to become the active 
 
 server if the active server fails to perform its operations; 
 
 at least one of said computing devices comprises:
 a connectivity manager for receiving notification data from said server, 
 a computing device client for
 determining contents of said notification data, 
 performing said executing instructions for presenting indicia, based on said contents, to a selected user of said at least one computing device, 
  upon executing said instructions, a notification window is displayed on a screen associated with the at least one of said computing devices,
 said notification window adapted based on 
  size of said screen, 
  type of computing device, and 
  computing capability of said computing device, 
 said adaptation of said notification window is performed either by said computing device client or by said server, 
 
  said presenting indicia comprises presenting an acknowledgement block to the user of said computing device to send an acknowledgement of said notification data, 
  further wherein said computing device client determines if said user has sent an acknowledgement before the expiry of a timer,
 said computing device client terminates said presenting of indicia if said timer expires without the user having sent the acknowledgement, 
 
 
 wherein one or more settings are associated with said computing device client, 
 further wherein the at least one of said computing devices registers with said server using a unique identifier,
 said registering of the at least one of said computing devices initiated upon detection of installation of the at least one of said computing devices on the said at least one network, 
 said registering comprises 
  determining if said one or more associated settings are up-to-date, and 
  based on said determining, updating the one or more associated settings, and 
 
 a watchdog process for ensuring proper functioning of the computing device client. 
 
 
     
     
       17. A server according to  claim 16 , wherein said notifications comprise one or more questions requiring feedback from said selected users. 
     
     
       18. A server according to  claim 16  wherein a plurality of said computing devices is grouped by said server based on the locations of said computing devices. 
     
     
       19. A server according to  claim 16  wherein said input data originates from a computer system. 
     
     
       20. A server according to  claim 16  wherein, based on contents of said notification data, said computing device client executes further instructions for launching at least one separate application.